


First Date

by TheKingsJewel (HobbitUnderTheMountain)



Series: Richard & Jules [1]
Category: British Actor RPF
Genre: Drabble, F/M, First Dates, First Kiss, Nervousness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-13
Updated: 2015-09-13
Packaged: 2018-04-20 16:29:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4794401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HobbitUnderTheMountain/pseuds/TheKingsJewel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A look back at Richard and Jules' early days as they enjoy their first date.</p>
            </blockquote>





	First Date

**Author's Note:**

> This started out as two separate chapters, but as I added more to each I decided that they actually probably fit better together as one.  
> Like the other chapters in this story, this came to me randomly, so there's probably still a few gaps to fill in, but I assure you that it won't be too long a wait before the rest is expanded on. 
> 
> This chapter's quite long, but I hope you still enjoy it. :-)

As the day was winding down on set and everyone was packing up to go home, there was only one thing on Richard's mind that he couldn't wait to get off his chest any longer, and he made his way over to Tyler, the director and his good friend, with great purpose.

"Hey, Ty, can I talk to you for a second?" He asked quietly, and with a nod in Richard's direction Ty finished his conversation with a colleague and followed the actor to a more private area.

"Rich, is everything alright?" Ty's concern was written clearly on his face, and for a brief moment Richard considered not asking what he wanted to ask. But he needed to know. He had known Ty for quite some time now, and felt comfortable in calling him a friend, but there was a certain etiquette to matters such as this, so he had to tread carefully.

"Yeah, everything's fine...I was just wondering though, and I realise that this is incredibly forward and slightly inappropriate, and probably crosses a lot of lines in the friendship and professional departments, but I assure you that no matter the outcome it will have no affect whatsoever on my work and I won't think any differently of you for your answer...but I was just wondering about your sister...and I wanted to know if you'd perhaps know, if she was... _seeing anybody_?"

Richard stared at Ty with wide eyes as he anticipated not only his friend's reaction to the fact he'd shown interest in his little sister, but also his reply. Of all the reactions he'd imagined he'd get, he hadn't expected Ty to _laugh_.

"Richard, I've never known anybody to show their interest in someone in such a roundabout way! No, she isn't seeing anybody, if you like her then you should ask her on a date,"

Ty was _encouraging_ him? Richard couldn't believe his ears. Had he been alone he'd have exhaled a deep sigh of relief, but since he wasn't he simply grinned at Ty and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Thanks mate. Do you think she'll say yes though?"

Ty's eyes settled on something, or rather, some _one_ behind Richard, and he turned around to see who it was, all colour draining from his face when he discovered Julie, Ty's sister, walking towards them.

"There's only one way to find out," Ty smirked, and before Julie reached them he hurried off in the opposite direction, leaving Richard no other choice but to swallow his nerves and ask her out.

==========================================================================

 

Jules was ten minutes late by the time she arrived at the restaurant, and she found Richard waiting for her in the lobby. His face held an unreadable expression, but it quickly softened when he laid his eyes on her and she smiled in greeting.

"I'm so sorry for being late! I have the _worst_ navigational skills, I swear!"

Richard chuckled lightly as he helped her out of her coat, his previous anxieties about her delayed arrival quickly melting away.

"Well you're here now, that's all that matters," he said, folding her coat, along with his own, over his arm, "although I have to admit, I was slightly worried that you wouldn't show up at all,"

His nervous chuckle confirmed that he wasn't joking, and Julie’s eyebrows knitted together.

"I wouldn't do that to you," she said reassuringly, happy to see the uncertainty leaving his eyes, "if I didn't want to have dinner with you I'd have said so when you asked,"

"Well, that's good to know," he nodded, just as the waitress approached to show them to their table.

Once they were settled and had ordered their drinks, they picked up their menus and looked through them. Never, in the history of man, had a restaurant menu been so interesting to two people, and as Julie sought refuge behind the large cardboard pamphlet she took some calming breaths to settle her nerves. Little did she know that Richard was doing the very same thing.

When the waitress returned with their drinks she shot them both a peculiar look, before taking their food orders, along with their menus, and disappearing again. Now there was nothing to hide behind Julie felt very exposed, and once she had taken a sip of her drink she fidgeted absentmindedly with the straw.  

"This is a nice place," she remarked, her eyes darting around the room before coming to settle on Richard and smiling, "I can't believe it's so close to home, and I still managed to get lost!"

Richard smiled warmly and sipped from his wine glass, "it's alright, I managed to get lost in a cinema once,"

" _In a cinema!?_ How on earth did you manage that?" she giggled, and as Richard regaled her about the time he managed to lose himself at the first Hobbit premiere, all their previous anxieties and fears quickly melted away.

 

Soon the conversation was flowing, and by the time they'd finished dessert Julie's cheeks were agony from smiling and laughing so much. Richard was witty, charming, and absolutely hilarious, and she found herself not only enjoying his company, but wanting to get to know him more, that familiar flutter of attraction brewing in her stomach.

"I'll walk you home," said Richard softly, helping Jules into her coat before putting on his own.

She smiled kindly as she turned to face him, "you don't have to do that, I can get a taxi,"

"I insist," he said, holding up a hand in protest, "besides, I doubt your brother would be impressed if he knew I'd left his little sister alone on the streets of London at night. Really, _you'd_ be doing _me_ a favour,"

Julie wanted to take him up on his offer, nothing would delight her more than walking home and spending more time with him, but she didn't want to seem too keen, so she studied him a moment before answering.

"Alright, if it saves you a berating from my brother then _I suppose_ I'll let you walk me home," she smirked, and started walking.

"' _I suppose_ '!? Is my company _really_ that bad?"

"Do you really want an answer to that?"

Richard stopped mid-stride and stared at her in mock surprise, mouth hanging open and eyes wide.

"You wound me," he said dramatically, holding a hand over his heart, and Julie giggled and shook her head in response before starting to walk again. Richard caught up with her, and for the first time on their journey home Jules noticed just how close their hands were to one another as they walked side by side. She wondered for a moment what holding his hand would feel like, whether his palms were rough or smooth, if his skin was warm or cold, and as they came to a stop at some traffic lights and waited for the signal to cross, her curiosity became unbearable and she stuffed her hands into her coat pockets to stop herself giving in to temptation. Richard glanced her way, his attention falling on her hands in her pockets, and he followed suit with a smirk, tucking his hands into his own coat and returning his attention to the traffic light.

"There's a bit of a chill in the air tonight, isn't there?" He said, and Jules could only hum in agreement as the green man flashed up on the traffic light display and they crossed. Minutes later they'd reached her street, and as they came to a stop outside her flat they smiled awkwardly at one another as they both realised the date was coming to an end.

“Well I hope dinner with me wasn’t _too_ traumatic for you...you know, with me being _such_ bad company and everything…” Richard joked, and Jules playfully rolled her eyes.

“Oh, yes, it was positively excruciating!” she giggled.

“Consider my ego officially bruised,”

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll find someone to kiss it better," she teased, and Richard raised an eyebrow.

"Would _you_?" He asked shakily, his voice an octave lower than usual.

Julie’s eyebrows knitted together, “you want me to kiss your ego?”

“Well, no, I didn't  _quite_  mean my _ego_ ,” as Richard watched with a nervous look in his eye, the penny finally dropped for Jules, and her eyes widened in surprise.

“Oh!”

“‘Oh’?”

“Sorry, I mean, yes - I would...if you’d want me to,”

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Richard leaned in closer, his heart and mind racing, “would I have asked if I didn’t?”

Without another word, he closed the gap between them and kissed her - softly at first, but with a little more sureness as his confidence grew. When their lips parted he rested his forehead against hers, his heart beating erratically despite his calm demeanour.

“You taste like chocolate ice cream,” she murmured, licking her lips, and Richard’s eyebrows pulled together.

“Is that a bad thing?”

She giggled softly and tilted her head to one side, studying him with a fondness in her eyes that made his heart soar.

“You underestimate my love for chocolate ice cream,” she smirked, and grabbing the front of his coat she pulled him towards her once more.

 

=======================================================================================

_For those of you interested,[this ](http://i.imgur.com/dNjo9uu.png)is the coat I imagine Richard wearing in this chapter._

_I do rather love his coats. ^_^_

 

 

 

 

 


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